This textbook has been conceptualized to provide a detailed description of the various aspects of Systems and Synthetic Biology, keeping the requirements of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in mind. Also, it is hoped that this book will mentor young scientists who are willing to contribute to this area but do not know from where to begin. The book has been divided into two sections. The first section will deal with systems biology - in terms of the foundational understanding, highlighting issues in biological complexity, methods of analysis and various aspects of modelling. The second section deals with the engineering concepts, design strategies of the biological systems ranging from simple DNA/RNA fragments, switches and oscillators, molecular pathways to a complete synthetic cell will be described. Finally, the book will offer expert opinions in legal, safety, security and social issues to present a well-balanced information both for students and scientists.

In the last few years, the boom in biobanking has prompted a lively debate on a host of interrelated legal issues, such as the Gordian knot of the ownership of biological materials, as well as privacy concerns. The latter are due to the difficulty of accepting that biological samples must be completely anonymous without making it practically impossible to exploit their information potential. The issues also include the delicate role and the changing content of the donor's "informed consent" as the main legal tool that may serve to link the privacy and property interests of donors with the research interests and the set of principles that should be at the core of the biobanking practice. Lastly, the IP issues and the patentability of biological samples as well as the protection of databases storing genetic information obtained from the samples are covered. Collecting eighteen essays written by eminent scholars from Italy, the US, the UK and Canada, this book provides new solutions to these problems. From a comparative viewpoint, it explores the extent to which digital technology may assist in tackling the numerous regulatory issues raised by the practice of biobanking for research purposes. These issues may be considered and analyzed under the traditional paradigms of Property, Privacy, Informed Consent and Intellectual Property.

This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of review articles focusing on RNA-mediated regulation in prokaryotes. The various modes of action include the direct interaction with proteins, direct sensing of metabolites or of physical parameters, and the interaction with RNAs to stimulate or prevent binding of ribosomes or to stimulate degradation. Written by leading experts in the field, the book covers small RNA functions, RNA thermometers, riboswitches, the diversity of small RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas defense systems and selected RNA chaperons in both prokaryotic domains, bacteria and archaea. Recent advances towards the computational identification of regulatory RNAs and their targets are included and particular attention is paid to small RNA in pathogenic bacteria. This volume is the only one exclusively covering regulatory RNAs in the prokaryotic domains to date, making it essential literature for anyone interested in RNA function and gene regulation and a valuable resource for teaching these concepts.

Covid-19 and Vaccine Nationalism: Managing the Politics of Global Pandemics provides an in-depth overview of the complex nature politics played in vaccine production and distribution. The book ensures international and domestic politics, governance, and mechanisms of vaccine production and administration are understandable through insightful discussions. The book aims to solve several problems, including the essence of vaccine nationalism in a context of international politics, the discourse of vaccine nationalism outside popular media, historical documentation of the problem of vaccine inequality and low access of Covid-19 vaccines in developing countries of Africa, the Caribbean, parts of Asia, and more. Final sections cover the global blueprint of solving the problem of the Covid-19 pandemic through vaccines and an in-depth analysis of the politics of Covid-19 vaccines in the United States, China, Europe, the United Kingdom and India.

Prostate Cancer Metabolism: From Biochemistry to Therapeutics shows the peculiarities of prostate cancer metabolism, emphasizing the targetable aspects - that have not been considered in conventional treatment protocols. The book specifically addresses treatment of the castration-resistant stage of prostate cancer proposing many repurposed drugs and nutraceuticals to complement, not replace, standard therapies. The large body of evidence supporting these concepts makes them deserving of further research and well-designed clinical trials. It discusses lipid, cholesterol, glutamine, and glucose metabolisms and their impact on prostate cancer. Additionally, it explains how current established drugs can be repurposed to improve treatment outcomes. The concepts set out in the book, that deal with cancer at the cellular/molecular level, help identify new avenues of research and treatments to pursue that do not affect well-being whilst offer consistent benefits. Since most practicing physicians have not studied basic biochemistry since medical school, each chapter begins with a brief review of the topic to facilitate an understanding of the metabolically-oriented approach to targeting prostate cancer. Conventional treatments are not discussed here since they are covered in textbooks and specialized updates that abound in the medical literature. It is a valuable resource for cancer researchers, oncologists, clinicians and members of biomedical field who want to learn more about prostate cancer metabolism and how to apply recent findings in the field to bedside.

At first glance the concepts of time and of Petri nets are quite contrary: while time determines the occurrences of events in a system, classic Petri nets consider their causal relationships and they represent events as concurrent systems. But if we take a closer look at how time and causality are intertwined we realize that there are many possible ways in which time and Petri nets interact. This book takes a closer look at three time-dependent Petri nets: Time Petri nets, Timed Petri nets, and Petri nets with time windows.

The author first explains classic Petri nets and their fundamental properties. Then the pivotal contribution of the book is the introduction of different algorithms that allow us to analyze time-dependent Petri nets. For Time Petri nets, the author presents an algorithm that proves the behavioral equivalence of a net where time is designed once with real and once with natural numbers, so we can reduce the state space and consider the integer states exclusively. For Timed Petri nets, the author introduces two time-dependent state equations, providing a sufficient condition for the non-reachability of states, and she also defines a local transformation for converting these nets into Time Petri nets. Finally, she shows that Petri nets with time-windows have the ability to realize every transition sequence fired in the net omitting time restrictions.

These classes of time-dependent Petri nets show that time alone does not change the power of a Petri net, in fact time may or may not be used to force firing. For Time Petri nets and Timed Petri nets we can say that they are Turing-powerful, and thus more powerful than classic Petri nets, because there is a compulsion to fire at some point in time. By contrast, Petri nets with time-windows have no compulsion to fire, their expressiveness power is less than that of Turing-machines.

This book derives from advanced lectures, and the text is supported throughout withexamples and exercises. It issuitable for graduate courses in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and related disciplines, and as a reference for researchers."

This book is designed as a textbook for graduate students and as a resource for researchers seeking a thorough mathematical treatment of its subject. It develops the main results of regression and the analysis of variance, as well as the central results on confounded and fractional factorial experiments. Matrix theory is deemphasized; its role is taken instead by the theory of linear transformations between vector spaces.The text gives a carefully paced and unified presentation of two topics, linear models and experimental design. Students are assumed to have a solid background in linear algebra, basic knowledge of regression and analysis of variance, and some exposure to experimental design, and should be comfortable with reading and constructing mathematical proofs. The book leads students into the mathematical theory, including many examples both for motivation and for illustration. Over 130 exercises of varying difficulty are included. An extensive mathematical appendix and a detailed index make the text especially accessible. Linear Models and Design can serve as a textbook for a year-long course in the topics covered, or for a one-semester course in either linear model theory or experimental design. It prepares students for more advanced topics in the field, and assists in developing a thoughtful approach to the existing literature. It includes a guide to terminology as well as discussion of the history and development of ideas, and offers a fresh perspective on the fundamental concepts and results of the subject.

This volume offers a collection of carefully selected, peer-reviewed papers presented at the BIOMAT 2019 International Symposium, which was held at the University of Szeged, Bolyai Institute and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary, October 21st-25th, 2019. The topics covered in this volume include tumor and infection modeling; dynamics of co-infections; epidemic models on networks; aspects of blood circulation modeling; multidimensional modeling approach via time-frequency analysis and Edge Based Compartmental Model; and more. This book builds upon the tradition of the previous BIOMAT volumes to foster interdisciplinary research in mathematical biology for students, researchers, and professionals. Held every year since 2001, the BIOMAT International Symposium gathers together, in a single conference, researchers from Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and affine fields to promote the interdisciplinary exchange of results, ideas and techniques, promoting truly international cooperation for problem discussion. The 2019 edition of BIOMAT International Symposium received contributions by authors from 14 countries: Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, India, Italy, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, United Kingdom and the USA. Selected papers presented at the 2017 and 2018 editions of this Symposium were also published by Springer, in the volumes "Trends in Biomathematics: Modeling, Optimization and Computational Problems" (978-3-319-91091-8) and "Trends in Biomathematics: Mathematical Modeling for Health, Harvesting, and Population Dynamics" (978-3-030-23432-4).

Choice Recommended Title, August 2019 Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond. This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study. Features: Fills an important gap in the market, providing a comprehensive overview of the field Edited by an authority in the subject, with chapters written by experts in the many diverse areas that comprise astrobiology Contains in-depth and broad coverage of an exciting field that will only grow in importance in the decades ahead

This book reviews the advances in data gathering and processing in the biotech laboratory environment, and it sheds new lights on the various aspects that are necessary for the implementation of intelligent laboratory architecture and infrastructure. Smart technologies are increasingly dominating our everyday lives and have become an indispensable part of the industrial environment. The laboratory environment, which has long been rather conservative, has also set out to adapt smart technologies with regards to Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) for the laboratory. Due to the heterogeneity of the existing infrastructure and the often complex work processes, standardization is slow, e.g. to implement device interfaces or standardized driver protocols, which are urgently needed to generate standardized data streams that would be immanent for post-processing of data. Divided into 9 chapters, this book offers an authoritative overview of the diverse aspects in the generation and recording of uniform data sets in the laboratory, and in the processing of the data and enabling seamless processing towards machine learning and artificial intelligence. In the first part of the book, readers will find more about high throughout systems, automation, robotics, and the evolution of technology in the laboratory. The second part of the book is devoted to standardization in lab automation, in which readers will learn more about some regulatory aspects, the SiLA2 standards, the OPC LADS (Laboratory and Analytical Device Standard), and FAIR Data infrastructure

Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and their children. It is a discipline that addresses current issues: climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. This series gathers review articles that analyze current agricultural issues and knowledge, then proposes alternative solutions.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Wastewater and Human Health provides updated knowledge on the human health risks associated with antimicrobial resistance of wastewater. The book's chapters address commonly found bacteria and drug resistant genes in wastewater, treatment plant problems and challenges, human health hazards, and gaps in current literature. Written for researchers, scientists, graduate and PhD students in the areas of Public Health, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, and Environmental Science, this will be an ideal resource.

This book presents latest work in the field of plant biotechnology regarding high-efficiency micropropagation for commercial exploitation at low labor and equipment costs. The book consists of 18 chapters on establishing advanced culture systems, techniques as well as latest modification protocols on a variety of crops. It also discusses new methods such as nylon film culture system, light-emitting diode and wireless light-emitting diode system, stem elongation, wounding manipulation and shoot tip removal, in vitro hydroponic and microponic culture system, thin cell layer culture system etc. Plant cell tissue has been developed more than fifty years ago. Since then applications of in vitro plant propagation expanded rapidly all around the world and played as an important role in agricultural and horticultural systems. This book will be of interest to teachers, researchers, scientists, capacity builders and policymakers. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences.

Now in its second edition, Nuclear Forensic Analysis provides a multidisciplinary reference for forensic scientists, analytical and nuclear chemists, and nuclear physicists in one convenient source. The authors focus particularly on the chemical, physical, and nuclear aspects associated with the production or interrogation of a radioactive sample. They consolidate fundamental principles of nuclear forensic analysis, all pertinent protocols and procedures, computer modeling development, interpretational insights, and attribution considerations. The principles and techniques detailed are then demonstrated and discussed in their applications to real-world investigations and casework conducted over the past several years. Highlights of the Second Edition include: A new section on sample analysis considerations and interpretation following a post-detonation nuclear forensic collection New case studies, including the most wide-ranging and multidisciplinary nuclear forensic investigation conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to date Expanded treatments of radiologic dispersal devices (RDDs) and statistical analysis methodologies The material is presented with minimal mathematical formality, using consistent terminology with limited jargon, making it a reliable, accessible reference. The broad-based coverage provides important insight into the multifaceted changes facing this recently developed science.

Covers the State of the Art in Superfluidity and Superconductivity Superfluid States of Matter addresses the phenomenon of superfluidity/superconductivity through an emergent, topologically protected constant of motion and covers topics developed over the past 20 years. The approach is based on the idea of separating universal classical-field superfluid properties of matter from the underlying system's "quanta." The text begins by deriving the general physical principles behind superfluidity/superconductivity within the classical-field framework and provides a deep understanding of all key aspects in terms of the dynamics and statistics of a classical-field system. It proceeds by explaining how this framework emerges in realistic quantum systems, with examples that include liquid helium, high-temperature superconductors, ultra-cold atomic bosons and fermions, and nuclear matter. The book also offers several powerful modern approaches to the subject, such as functional and path integrals. Comprised of 15 chapters, this text: Establishes the fundamental macroscopic properties of superfluids and superconductors within the paradigm of the classical matter field Deals with a single-component neutral matter field Considers fundamentals and properties of superconductors Describes new physics of superfluidity and superconductivity that arises in multicomponent systems Presents the quantum-field perspective on the conditions under which classical-field description is relevant in bosonic and fermionic systems Introduces the path integral formalism Shows how Feynman path integrals can be efficiently simulated with the worm algorithm Explains why nonsuperfluid (insulating) ground states of regular and disordered bosons occur under appropriate conditions Explores superfluid solids (supersolids) Discusses the rich dynamics of vortices and various aspects of superfluid turbulence at T 0 Provides account of BCS theory for the weakly interacting Fermi gas Highlights and analyzes the most crucial developments that has led to the current understanding of superfluidity and superconductivity Reviews the variety of superfluid and superconducting systems available today in nature and the laboratory, as well as the states that experimental realization is currently actively pursuing

Features * Provides a self-contained introduction to General Relativity and to its standar applications. * Presents readers with all the tools necessary for further learning and research in the field. * Accessible to readers with just foundational knowledge of linear algebra and Lagrangian mechanics.

A growing body of research demonstrates the potential benefits of the administration of inositol isomers in the treatment of many different disorders, from reproductive to metabolic diseases. A Clinical Guide to Inositols discusses scientific evidence of inositol-based treatments in different clinical fields to provide clinicians with a practical guide to use inositol supplementation within pathological conditions. Each chapter covers a specific disorder and describes aspects of the application of inositol in clinical practice, discussing the physio-pathologic features of the health condition and scientific evidences of the effects of inositol treatment.This book is a valuable resource to researchers and clinicians looking for a clear understanding of clinical effects of inositol supplementation and a practical guide on inositol-based treatments.

From Aristotle to the present, memory has been grasped as a trace or impression of lost reality - bridging physiological experience and consciousness. Philosophers have vainly sought the nature of this bridge. The present-day physiologizing/naturalizing of consciousness is not resolving their congenital continuity, in which the very existence and practice of life is rooted. We have to change our approach (Erwin Straus). The Aristotelian congenital ties between memory and temporality, acquire crucial significance in our primogenital ontopoiesis of life (Tymieniecka). It reveals memory to be the factor that carries this coalescence and the becoming of life itself. This can be the fruit only of the generative springs of life, first phenomenology/philosophy, the ontopoietic logos of life.

In this collection we explore memory in the constitution of reality: rememorizing and interpretation, consciousness/action, facts/imagination, history/myths, self-realization/metamorphosis.

Provides clear instructions and step-by-step exercises to make learning the material easier for students. Emphasizes fundamental laboratory skills which prepare a student for the industry. Builds students' skills through an organized and systematic presentation of materials, procedures, and tasks. Updates reflect recent innovations and regulatory requirements to ensure students stay up to date. Supplies skills suitable for careers in forensic, clinical, quality control, environmental, and other testing laboratories.

Over 20 years have elapsed since publication of the seminal two volume series entitled Q Fever: The Biology of Coxiella burnetii (edited by J. C. Williams and H. A. Thompson) and Q fever: The Disease (edited by T. J. Marrie) that described the current state of Coxiella burnetii research. The ensuing years have brought the post-genomic era and accompanying technologies that have catalyzed major advances in the field, including milestones discoveries of genetic transformation and host cell-free growth of this former obligate intracellular bacterium. Understanding how the bacterium resists the degradative functions of vacuole, and the host cell functions coopted for successful parasitism, are central to understanding Q fever pathogenesis. Recent achievements in glycomics and proteomics are guiding development of enhanced detection schemes for the bacterium in addition to shedding light on the host immune response to the pathogen. The book covers the current state-of-the-art knowledge in the selected fields of C. burnetii/Q fever research. Coxiella has matured from a niche organism, investigated by a handful of laboratories worldwide, to a model system to study macrophage parasitism, developmental biology, host-pathogen interactions, and immune evasion/modulation.

This book presents a sample of research on knowledge-based systems in biomedicine and computational life science. The contributions include: personalized stress diagnosis system, image analysis system for breast cancer diagnosis, analysis of neuronal cell images, structure prediction of protein, relationship between two mental disorders, detection of cardiac abnormalities, holistic medicine based treatment and analysis of life-science data.

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Most photovoltaic (PV) installations utilise heavy conventional glass or polycarbonate panels, and even newly developed thin plastic or metal films for PV cell use may fracture during both construction and application. Textile fabrics, the most widespread flexible materials in everyday use, offer a solution to the need for lightweight, flexible solar PV generators. Solar Textiles: The Flexible Solution for Solar Power is about the incorporation and operation of solar cells on textile fabrics. The combination of textile manufacturing and solar PV cell technology opens up further avenues for both the textile and semiconductor industries. Thus, this book reflects the progressively increasing commercial interest in PV cell technology and the versatility that their integration in textiles provides. Discusses textiles as electrical substrates Explains the photovoltaic effect and associated parameters Offers special consideration of solar cells on textiles Compares fibres and fabrics and how to implement PV activity on a textile Describes manufacturing methods outside of semiconductor technology Includes applications open only to textiles This work is aimed at textile technologists, electronic engineers, solar technologists, civil engineers and designers in building fabrics and architecture.

An extensive list of print and nonprint resources is provided to facilitate further research. With the world's attention now focused on this vital issue, this volume will prove indispensable to school, public, and academic libraries. Includes biographical sketches of individuals and organizations committed to saving endangered species Provides an extensive list of print and nonprint resources to facilitate further research

Significant biological differences exist between men and women that contribute to sex-specific differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, pathophysiology, presentation, response to therapy, and prognosis. It is essential for clinicians to be cognizant of these sex-specific differences in order to reduce the disparity in diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases in both genders. Sex Differences in Cardiac Disease provides a timely review of the contemporary data on these sex-specific differences in pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and management of cardiovascular diseases that fills a void for clinicians in practice and training. With contributions from renowned experts in the field and guideline writers, the text provides a state-of-the-art review of each topic encompassing the full spectrum of CVD in men and women. Sex-specific guideline-based recommendations are highlighted when available. Tailored to meet the needs of the busy clinicians and researchers, this text provides concise practical data to care for men and women at risk for or with CVD. The book serves as an essential resource for researchers, cardiologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, internists, family practitioners, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and respective trainees who treat men and women with CVD.